(a) Solution 1. We note that n=2m has m+1 divisors, dk=2k−1 for 1⩽k⩽m+1. Thus
1+d1+⋯+dk−1=1+(2k−1−1)=2k−1=dk
for each k⩾2, and hence each power of 2 is a bad integer. This exhibits infinitely many bad integers.
Remark. It is true more generally that
If n=2rm, where m is a product of (odd) primes each less than 2r+1, then n is bad.
This is an immediate corollary of the previous result and the following observation:
If n=2rm is bad, where m is odd, then so is pn for any odd prime p. Let DK be a divisor of pn, so DK=p or DK=dk or DK=pdk, where dk>1 is a divisor of n. In the first case, observe that there exists t<r+1 such that 2t<p<2t+1 by assumption. Then {1,2,…,2t}⊆{D1,…,DK−1}, and so
DK=p<2t+1=1+(1+2+⋯+2t)⩽1+D1+⋯+DK−1.
In the final case, {1,2,…,2t,pd1,…,pdk−1}⊆{D1,…,DK−1}, and so
DK=pdk⩽p(1+d1+⋯+dk−1)=p+pd1+⋯+pdk<2t+1+pd1+⋯+pdk−1=1+(1+⋯+2t)+pd1+⋯+pdk−1<1+(D1+⋯+DK−1).
In the second case, {d1,…,dk−1}⊆{D1,…,DK−1} immediately implies the required inequality, and so pn is indeed bad.
This result is weak, however: only 57931 (6.99\%) of the 829157 bad numbers not larger than 107 are of this form.